No Need For Fear
by Lichan
Summary: Tenchi can't get his mind off his mother. Will his fears haunt him forever?


No Need For Fear  
by Lichan  
  
Why wouldn't they shut up? That was all Tenchi could think of as he lay in a hospital bed waiting for his operation. He hated being here. All the sights, smells, and noises reminded him of one thing. His mother had died here.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Don't worry Tenchi. I'll be home with you soon. It's nothing to worry about."  
  
"Really mama?"  
  
"Yes," she chuckled. "Now go on your fathers waiting for you."  
  
"OK, I love you mama."  
  
"I love you too Tenchi."  
  
***  
"Daddy your back!" Tenchi laughed as he ran over, but the look on his father's face stopped him in his tracks. He looked so emotionless so cold. It sent chills down his spine. Even if he had not previously been cold, even in the snowy weather.  
  
"Tenchi I don't know how to tell you this, but your mother died today."  
  
"No." Tenchi whispered in shock.  
  
"It was sudden. She died in her sleep."  
  
"No mommy can't be gone," he cried. Tears streaming down his face as he said this. His father continued not noticing his son's distress.   
  
"The funeral will be next week."  
  
"Mommy can't die," he said insistently. "She said she'd come home. She said she'd be with me."  
  
Tenchi ran. He ran away from his father. Ran away from his house. Ran away from his tears...  
  
End Flashback  
  
Now every waking moment was spent with the fear. Fear that something would happen and he would die as well. He knew consciously that an appendicitis was nothing really. The doctors would take it out no problem. But still the fear remained reminding him that his mother was supposed to have gotten better as well. And that they never really had figured out what had killed her. They had tired, but he knew they didn't know what they were talking about by the way they kept looking down at the paper work in their hands as if expecting the answers to be there.  
  
He sighed as he continued to listen to Ryoko and Ayaka argue about who was going to get to take care of him when he got out of the hospital. He began thinking back to when this had all started.  
  
***  
"Tenchi hurry up and finish sweeping," his grandfather called out when he noticed Tenchi just standing there.   
  
"OK grandpa." Tenchi got back to work sweeping off the path to the shrine. His side had been really bothering him lately. He hoped it would go away soon. He didn't want someone to make him go to a doctor. He was actually really good at hiding pain and sickness from others view. He had only seen a doctor maybe three times that he could remember. This stomach pain worried him though. It was a lot more intense then his usual stuff was.  
  
He finished his chores quickly after that and went back down to the house for dinner. Sasami was an excellent cook, but tonight he was not able to enjoy it at all as another stomach pain came during dinner.  
  
He tried to look casual and excuse himself from the table as his whole side felt as if someone were repeatedly stabbing him with dull knives. Apparently he didn't do a good enough job though.  
  
"Tenchi are you feeling all right?" Sasami asked. All conversation stopped and everyone looked his way. Sasami got up from the table before he could say anything and held her little hand lightly over his forehead. She pulled her hand back quickly to dispel the heat that had gathered there.   
  
"Tenchi you have got a fever!" She said, with worry showing in her voice.  
  
"Maybe we should take you to see the doctor son." His father put in as he got up and went to the phone.  
  
"No, I'm feeling fine." I lied through my teeth. My grandfather looked at me. Taking in my clenched jaw and my arm wrapped protectively around my side.  
  
"Better to be safe then sorry though."  
  
So they dragged me to the local hospital ignoring my mumbled protests. All the girls came as well. The doctor had to forcefully remove them from the room before he was able to examine me. He took my temperature and my pulse and just generally made me feel uncomfortable. When he started to ask questions, because my grandfather was still in the room watching me, I admitted to having stomach pains.   
  
He made me take off my shirt and lay down. He asked where exactly I was feeling the pain and I indicated around my upper waist area. He began putting pressure in places on my stomach asking if I felt any pain there. I kept saying no, until he pressed on one spot that made me scream. I gasped for breath as he took off the pressure, not noticing that the girls had fallen through the door where they had been listening in.  
  
"Hm, I think I'll need to run a blood test to be sure but I believe that you have an acute appendicitis."  
  
I didn't respond. I just stared at my feet as I put back on my shirt slowly. I wasn't stupid. I knew what an appendicitis meant. It meant that I would have to go through surgery and that I would have to stay here for a couple of days.  
  
The doctor proceeded to roll up the sleeve on my shirt and tap one of my veins for blood. I didn't even flinch as the long needle plunged into my arm and the cylinder began to fill with my own dark red blood. Afterwards we were told to wait as the lab checked out my blood sample. Most of the girls were converged on father wanting to know what was going on. With the exception of Kyone and Mioshi who quietly talking in the corner. Me I was numb.   
  
Time just seemed to fly by as I was lost in thought. The doctor eventually came back in and told us the test had confirmed his diagnosis and that they would operate tomorrow morning. The girls all fussed over me as I went to change and laid in the hospital bed. A nurse came in soon after to set up and iv.  
  
***  
That's where I am now just laying there still numb and non-talkative listening to everyone around me. A chime sounds signaling the end of the visiting period. All the girls grumble but allow themselves to be led out of the room. Someone tells me that they will be back in time for my operation. Then I am alone. Alone with my thoughts. They still center around her. They always have. How could she die. How could she leave me. What would happen if I die. I sat for a long time thinking these things until I finally couldn't take it anymore. I had to go do something to distract myself. I got up and pulled my iv along with me as I left the room and walked slowly down the halls. A nurse finally stopped me and took me back to my room. I stopped her before she could leave.  
  
"How can you stand to be in a place so often where so many people die?" I asked my voice trembling. To her credit she stood there for a while thinking about it so I new she would tell me the truth.  
  
"To be honest. I don't look at it that way. I love seeing the way so many people care about what happens to the ones that come here. That the doctors try there best to cure them or make their time left peaceful. Even if some of them die someone will always remember them. So I guess they never truly die. Oh, I'm sorry I was ranting. Did that help though?"  
  
"Yes, thank you." My spirits lifted as I said this. It was true, if you remember someone part of them is still alive in your memories. I fell asleep secure in that knowledge.  
  
***  
The operation went by without any trouble and after a while I was discharged from the hospital. Before I left I gave a thank you card to the nurse that had talked to me. She told me that if I ever needed to talk that she would be there.  
  
***  
Time passed my injury healed and I gained a new hobby. Every once in a while I would go to the hospital and sit with people that had no families to be with them. So they too could be remembered as well as my mother was.  
  
Owari  
Yes!!!!!!  
This was the first story I have ever finished, and believe me I have started a lot of stories.  
If I ever want me to even think about putting up other stories though I need good reviews. I will however accept flamers but that is only because I am starved for attention. so...  
PLEASE REVIEW!  



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